I'm currently researching the Pisani family. I have found 2 brothers, Pellegrino (b 1863) and Raffaelo (b 1860). They both emigrated to Holborn in London prior to 1890. I am very keen to find their town on birth but on all census documents they always just name this as Italy. They are listed as plaster figure makers on censuses and I understand that plaster figure makers in London at this time principally came from a few villages near Lucca in Tuscany. One of the villages is Coreglia Antelminelli.

Unfortunately, there are no civil records for that area and those years (they start from 1866). I think it will be very hard...in Italy we say "like looking for a needle in a haystack" (don't know if in Britain you say the same).You can look at births in Coreglia, as an instance. Index of births for 1866-1875 starts here:

Many thanks to you both for your help, and on Christmas eve and Christmas day too!I'll take a good look at the links you sent, do you think it would be worth writing to the records office in Lucca? I only have names and approximate years of birth and their father's name of Martino Pisani who is listed as a farmer on Pellegrino's and Rafaello's marriage certificates. As we say too, 'like looking for a needle in a haystack!

Thank you so much for your work on this. I think you have found him for me! I know from a pass card that Raffaello, as an Italian citizen, had to carry with him in London in 1919 that his mother was an Elisabetta Santini and I have his father as Martino, a farmhand, from Raffaello's marriage certificate. Add to that the Italian naming tradition that the grandfather was a Pelligrino and his brother was also a Pelligrino this is looking very much like him!

I know we will need to visit Bagno di Lucca to confirm this but it looks most promising.

I've just spoken to my friend who's family this is and he said this is the best christmas present he could have.